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Spirited college senior Bliss is preparing to make her mark in the world of contemporary dance. She’s thrilled to be training at the prestigious Windhaven College of the Arts in Salem, Massachusetts. But things get weird the moment she sets foot on the campus. Her new roommate, Rowan, is a mind-reading, storm-calling descendent of the Sidhe, the Fae of Ireland, with a secret agenda.
Ciarán, the charming TA for her performance class, is the most brilliant dancer she’s ever seen. Too bad he hides from the sun and has a taste for human blood.
Bliss should have run screaming in terror, but Rowan’s magic has woken memories of a past life she cannot deny. The more she learns of Ciarán’s tragic past and the family of Sidhe he protects, the more she realizes she is a part of their world and her new ‘normal’ is anything but.
Enter the Order, ancient enemy of everything supernatural. To protect Bliss and the Sidhe, Ciarán draws her into the very heart of his magical world. Soon, instead of dancing together, they are fighting a bitter battle to prevent disaster from tearing them apart again. This time forever.
REVIEW
“Dancing on the Dark Side” is set in contemporary Salem, Massachusetts, where an unfaithful fiancé and a skanky roommate send Bliss in search of a new beginning. Miraculously, a place opens up at Windhaven, with both a scholarship and a TA position. Totally unheard of for a transfer student, but she knows better than to question her luck.
The populace at Windhaven is a bit different. A sexy barista flees the shop after she places her order, but reappears in her dance class. Her roommate, Rowan, always seems to know exactly what to say. More than a few females are resentful of her smooth slide into the TA job. Then there’s the feeling that somehow everything seems familiar, a sort of Déjà Vu…only not in this lifetime.
“Dancing on the Dark Side” seamlessly combines magic, vampires, legends and past lives in a believable, intriguing read. This fast-paced novel features lush imagery, realistic dialogue, and shows as opposed to tells. Bliss is a likable college student whose twin goals include being the best dancer she can be and getting away from a sucky situation. Even though her attraction to barista Ciarán is immediate, her realization that they knew each other in another lifetime is slower in coming, which gives it an authentic feel. Ciaran is a strong character, wrestling both with his love for Bliss and who she was in another life, and how that life ended because of him.
Máirín Fisher-Fleming draws together fae, folklore, hot dancers, and college-life conflicts into this year’s must-read novel!
EXCERPT
“Bliss? Would you like to start over?” he asked again, sounding patient in a strained way.
“Should I start before or after I accused you of being a vampire?” She edged a little closer to the end of the bench and set her feet firmly into the turf, ready to run.
“Since you raised the issue, let’s go with that. I’m a vampire. Satisfied?”
She stared at him; how was a person supposed to respond to a statement like that? An icy lump formed in the pit of her stomach. His tone was suddenly much harder. And entirely serious. Laughter edged with hysteria burst from her lips. He didn’t move. There was no possible way it could actually be true. Just couldn’t! But even as she watched he changed. It was subtle, easy to overlook if someone wasn’t completely focused on him, but it was real. The eyes darkened until even the whites vanished, like the eyes of some rare and beautiful beast. And between his slightly parted lips, the points of inhumanly sharp canines gleamed.
“Holy shit!” She cringed and pulled away, promptly falling off the bench. Bliss scrambled back to her feet. While Ciarán, the most beautiful dancer she had ever known, watched an air of remote indifference.
ABOUT Máirín Fisher-Fleming
Although born and raised in British Columbia, Máirín takes pride in her Scots/Irish roots and in her family tradition of oral story telling. Her love of reading and writing came at an early age, a gift inherited from her Dad. Her taste in books is eclectic but there is nothing more satisfying than a well-spun tale full of intriguing characters.
A former teacher of Theatre, Dance, Creative Writing and Journalism, she lives and works on the family farm in the Okanagan Valley, where she is slave to several feline overlords. In addition to writing, Máirín is passionate about travel, especially to any place with an ocean beach. If she can’t have sand between her toes, Nordic skiing, riding her motorcycle and camping will suffice.
www.mairinfisherfleming.com | https://www.facebook.com/Mairin.FisherFleming.writer
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